Friday, 3 February 2017

The Children Society: Stand up for girls!

The Children's Society Good Childhood Report has made alarming discoveries! It has discovered that an significant amount of young girls are unhappy with their lives compared to boys. So when I was approached by The Children Society to help them raise awareness I was more than happy too.'More than a quarter of a million girls aged 10-15 across the UK are not happy with their lives overall; One in seven of all girls in that age group. Whilst boys well being is staying the same, girls is getting worse.'
A quarter of a million girls aged 10-15! That's shocking!! 10-15 year old girls should be care free not being unhappy about their life! However, I can understand why they may have such a tough time. There is a lot of pressure on young women now days to ensure they have a carer which is suitable enough for you not to have to depend on anyone, which is the total opposite of what it would have been in the 40's.

'The picture is even starker when it comes to appearance, with a third of 10-15 yer old not being happy with their looks .'
This thought is disgusting! It makes me stomach twist to think that young women that are just going into puberty and their bodies are beginning to become what they will, are hating themselves. I don't ever remember having worries like these when I was this young.
The issue is that there are so many photoshoped images of thin flawless women out there. An image I have seen recently are images of Kylie Jenner. where in one picture she is pictured out about in her normal everyday clothes and in another she is shown in a bikini with very big hips and her big Kardashian stereotype bottom. Young girls are growing up thinking that having a big bottom, big lips and flat stomachs is normal and really its not.

Kylie's famous round bum

Kylie's famous lips

'Separate research by the office for national statistics suggest that girls are much more likely to spend extended amounts on social media, which has been linked to higher risk of ill mental health'
First of all I really do hope that these statistics fall within girls from 13 -15, because personally I feel as though children from 13 under shouldn't have access to social medias as they a very unhealthy place for innocent young people to be in .
I remember spending countless hours on social media. Especially Instagram and Facebook looking through images and profiles of people who to me where perfect. I would look through their pictures envious of what they looked like. For a young girls that can be poisonous and toxic.

'One teenage girls said: "There are so many things that are difficult about being a young person. There are so many pressures from your friends, from your family. You don't know who you are going to be, you are trying to find who you are in a certain way."

Another said: "Girls feel pressured by the boy that they should look a particular way and that leads girls into depression or low self-esteem and make girls feel ugly or worthless." " There is a lot of pressure to look good, you get called names no matter what, people always say stuff behind your back, boy always call you ugly if you have spots, or a slag if you wear makeup." "We're expected to be perfect, like Barbie dolls or something and if we don't then we get bullied."

This makes me feel really sad and I have been in this situation before. I would advice girls and even young men in these circumstances to live for yourself. Whilst yes it would be amazing to look like those people you see on the internet, you have to be happy with yourself. You have to know your self worth. Your the person that has to wake up and look at yourself in the mirror. And if you wake up in the morning and feel happy and proud of yourself then that is all the matters.
Bullying comes from peoples own in securities! And if males and females don't go for you because you don't look a certain way then they aren't worth your time. Be around positive people!

'The Children's Society is calling on the Government to take action to improve children's happiness across the nation and make sure children and young people can access mental health and well being support in all schools and colleges.'
This is amazing and I definitely think this would help! I mean if they had people to go to as soon as these thoughts started, the number of mental health cases will definitely fall. I didn't have anything like this when I was at school and honesty I think this would have helped a lot of young people had it been. It would have made seeking mental health support normal from a young age.

How can you help?
There are many ways you can help! Why don't you visit The Children's Society website for more information? Click here!